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The Widow and the Wanted: An MMF Historical Western Why Choose Romance
Not yet published
Expected 25 Aug 26Indian Territory, 1870.
A whiteout. A raid. A widow left for dead.
She should have vanished beneath the snow.
Instead, two outlaws find her.
They already belong to each other, bound by loyalty and a love they say is written in the stars. They don’t take in strangers, and winter on the post–Civil War frontier is hard enough to survive without making room for a third.
But this storm feels less like chance than fate.
Snowbound, hunted, and trapped together, survival becomes something far more dangerous than the cold.
A dark western MMF why-choose romance featuring an established couple, snowbound forced proximity, outlaw protectors, and a storm that feels like fate on the post–Civil War frontier.
Fated Outlaws is a series of standalone, dark, steamy historical western romances by Halle Oak, set on the late-1800s American frontier and inspired by constellations. The series features morally gray wounded antiheroes, high emotional tension, and high-heat romance.
Preorder now.
A whiteout. A raid. A widow left for dead.
She should have vanished beneath the snow.
Instead, two outlaws find her.
They already belong to each other, bound by loyalty and a love they say is written in the stars. They don’t take in strangers, and winter on the post–Civil War frontier is hard enough to survive without making room for a third.
But this storm feels less like chance than fate.
Snowbound, hunted, and trapped together, survival becomes something far more dangerous than the cold.
A dark western MMF why-choose romance featuring an established couple, snowbound forced proximity, outlaw protectors, and a storm that feels like fate on the post–Civil War frontier.
Fated Outlaws is a series of standalone, dark, steamy historical western romances by Halle Oak, set on the late-1800s American frontier and inspired by constellations. The series features morally gray wounded antiheroes, high emotional tension, and high-heat romance.
Preorder now.
410 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication August 25, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 13, 2026
Thank you to Halle Oak and Love Notes PR for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions!!
I was so intrigued by this book not only because of the romantic pairings but the setting and time period! What a unique and completely fascinating story!
Okee and Boone are former soldiers turned guns for hire who are looking for a job that will pay enough for them to survive through the winter. Okee and Boone are partners, in more than the business sense, and that is something they must keep hidden. They have such contrasting personalities too. Boone is the quintessential golden boy, so loving but so fiercely protective. Okee is steady, calm and dealing with his own serious daddy issues. He is also half Native American and despite fighting during the war, he is not treated well at all, especially by his awful father. The two secure a job “clearing land” and they meet Lula under the absolute worst circumstances and in order to survive, the three must work together.
The multiple points of view really worked for me because they were all so unique and compelling! Lula was so smart and so resilient and so determined to make it on her own. She fit in so well with their established relationship without taking away from it. I also enjoyed how accepting her mother was of her and how she decided to live her life. Boone was really a bright spot for me in this book, he was so pure and devoted to both Okee and Lula.
This is not a light hearted read! Please read the content warnings. I really enjoyed this book, the setting and time period really worked for me!
I was so intrigued by this book not only because of the romantic pairings but the setting and time period! What a unique and completely fascinating story!
Okee and Boone are former soldiers turned guns for hire who are looking for a job that will pay enough for them to survive through the winter. Okee and Boone are partners, in more than the business sense, and that is something they must keep hidden. They have such contrasting personalities too. Boone is the quintessential golden boy, so loving but so fiercely protective. Okee is steady, calm and dealing with his own serious daddy issues. He is also half Native American and despite fighting during the war, he is not treated well at all, especially by his awful father. The two secure a job “clearing land” and they meet Lula under the absolute worst circumstances and in order to survive, the three must work together.
The multiple points of view really worked for me because they were all so unique and compelling! Lula was so smart and so resilient and so determined to make it on her own. She fit in so well with their established relationship without taking away from it. I also enjoyed how accepting her mother was of her and how she decided to live her life. Boone was really a bright spot for me in this book, he was so pure and devoted to both Okee and Lula.
This is not a light hearted read! Please read the content warnings. I really enjoyed this book, the setting and time period really worked for me!
August 13, 2026
This book is just outstanding!!
Bickering, deep feelings, spice and an engaging plot make this a must-read you can’t put down.
Sizzling tension, shootings and snowstorms: Lula, Boone and Okee’s story is full of action and emotions.
The Widow and The Wanted is the second book in the Fated Outlaws, a dark western historical series.
It can be read as a standalone but I recommend catching up the first one if you haven’t already reading it. It’s worth it!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Bickering, deep feelings, spice and an engaging plot make this a must-read you can’t put down.
Sizzling tension, shootings and snowstorms: Lula, Boone and Okee’s story is full of action and emotions.
The Widow and The Wanted is the second book in the Fated Outlaws, a dark western historical series.
It can be read as a standalone but I recommend catching up the first one if you haven’t already reading it. It’s worth it!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The Widow and the Wanted
Halle Oak
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
The Widow and the Wanted, is book two (standalone) in the Fated Outlaws A Dark Western Romance Series.
I have loved reading westerns, as in historical fiction westerns since I was a teenager. Finding dark historical westerns these days has been difficult until I crossed trails with Halle Oak and her Fated Outlaws series.
WANTED: readers who love a dark western romance set in the 1870s.
The Widow and the Wanted is a gripping tale of survival and unexpected love.
Snowbound in a cabin with Boone and Okee until the weather breaks, Lula finds herself in a unique position among her protectors. Has fate dealt the cards for their future? Are Okee and Boone willing to show their hand to Lula? Is she willing to go all in and see where fate leads her?
This story is written beautifully from the setting to the unconventional love story that emerges from the pages. The care Halle has taken to be accurate in the settings is obvious, and it is appreciated by this reader, who loves a great western read.
I found myself falling in love with Okee and his quiet strength and grumpy exterior. I also found myself falling in love with Boone with his high temper and humor. In the quiet of the long days trapped in the small cabin, they found themselves captivated by Lula and her unwillingness to be managed.How could they not fall for her?
While TWatW will not be for all readers, those who choose to dive in will be rewarded with an exceptional adventure. This story is dark, dangerous, and full of love that can only be written in the stars.
Are you drawn to a love story where no one has to choose? A love story where there is no love triangle? One love story for three deserving hearts written in the stars. I encourage you to read The Widow and the Wanted. You will not regret it for a second.
Halle Oak
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
The Widow and the Wanted, is book two (standalone) in the Fated Outlaws A Dark Western Romance Series.
I have loved reading westerns, as in historical fiction westerns since I was a teenager. Finding dark historical westerns these days has been difficult until I crossed trails with Halle Oak and her Fated Outlaws series.
WANTED: readers who love a dark western romance set in the 1870s.
The Widow and the Wanted is a gripping tale of survival and unexpected love.
Snowbound in a cabin with Boone and Okee until the weather breaks, Lula finds herself in a unique position among her protectors. Has fate dealt the cards for their future? Are Okee and Boone willing to show their hand to Lula? Is she willing to go all in and see where fate leads her?
This story is written beautifully from the setting to the unconventional love story that emerges from the pages. The care Halle has taken to be accurate in the settings is obvious, and it is appreciated by this reader, who loves a great western read.
I found myself falling in love with Okee and his quiet strength and grumpy exterior. I also found myself falling in love with Boone with his high temper and humor. In the quiet of the long days trapped in the small cabin, they found themselves captivated by Lula and her unwillingness to be managed.How could they not fall for her?
While TWatW will not be for all readers, those who choose to dive in will be rewarded with an exceptional adventure. This story is dark, dangerous, and full of love that can only be written in the stars.
Are you drawn to a love story where no one has to choose? A love story where there is no love triangle? One love story for three deserving hearts written in the stars. I encourage you to read The Widow and the Wanted. You will not regret it for a second.
Review of advance copy
I love Halle Oak's dark western romance series, Fated Outlaws! Both of the books released so far are perfect standalones, but I also love the fact that each book is related to a different constellation. Both books have been fantastic and they paint a really vivid picture of the time period. The Widow and The Wanted has extremely clear trigger warnings at the start, and a really useful note about the setting too - I don't know a lot about the American Civil War, so I found that context very helpful before getting into the book.
In The Widow and The Wanted, MMCs Boone and Okee are an established but publicly closeted couple, but when FMC Lula meets them, she doesn't feel like a temporary add-on to their relationship, or like a saviour for their relationship either. Their relationship was great before her, and different but still great as a throuple. I liked that they had their own moments with each other and how the romance progressed generally. Maybe because Boone and Okee were already a couple and experiencing some spicy times before Lula gets involved, and because of the development of the MMF relationship, it felt like there was a lot more spice in this second book compared to The Bear and The Lamb. The spice was done really well though, and there was a lot of plot and emotional moments to balance it out. My heart wasn't put through the emotional wringer in the same way that I remember about the first book, but I loved that it was a completely different story, and not just a slightly different version of book one and its characters.
I am very excited to see where the series will go next!
Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from Love Notes PR but this is my voluntary and honest review.
In The Widow and The Wanted, MMCs Boone and Okee are an established but publicly closeted couple, but when FMC Lula meets them, she doesn't feel like a temporary add-on to their relationship, or like a saviour for their relationship either. Their relationship was great before her, and different but still great as a throuple. I liked that they had their own moments with each other and how the romance progressed generally. Maybe because Boone and Okee were already a couple and experiencing some spicy times before Lula gets involved, and because of the development of the MMF relationship, it felt like there was a lot more spice in this second book compared to The Bear and The Lamb. The spice was done really well though, and there was a lot of plot and emotional moments to balance it out. My heart wasn't put through the emotional wringer in the same way that I remember about the first book, but I loved that it was a completely different story, and not just a slightly different version of book one and its characters.
I am very excited to see where the series will go next!
Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from Love Notes PR but this is my voluntary and honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I devoured this book. And I mean DEVOUR with a capital D.
I absolutely loved the first book in this series, so I was a little nervous about whether the second could live up to it, but WOW, why was I even worried? The dynamic between Lula, Okee and Boone was everything. I couldn’t get enough of the tension, chemistry, secrecy and complicated emotions between these three, and they made for one seriously fantastic threesome!
The plot was also exactly what I wanted from a post–Civil War American frontier romance: outlaws, guns, violence, deception, danger, snowstorms, and, of course, plenty of romance. The tension was spot on! and I loved how the harsh, dangerous setting added to the feeling that these three were thrown together by something bigger than themselves. I was completely swept away to another time reading this book.
And Lula! I absolutely adored her. She was such a strong FMC, and I am always here for a woman who refuses to be pushed around. Seeing her find her strength and place in a world where women were so often oppressed made me sooo happy!
Then there’s Okee and Boone. They’re such opposites, but my gosh, what a pair. Their established relationship brought such a fun and emotional layer to the story, especially as Lula became part of their world. Their Queen *pants*.
Absolutely worth a read if you love a historical romance with a contemporary why choose twist!
Thank you to the author and Luna Literary for an eARC. All opinions are my own.
I absolutely loved the first book in this series, so I was a little nervous about whether the second could live up to it, but WOW, why was I even worried? The dynamic between Lula, Okee and Boone was everything. I couldn’t get enough of the tension, chemistry, secrecy and complicated emotions between these three, and they made for one seriously fantastic threesome!
The plot was also exactly what I wanted from a post–Civil War American frontier romance: outlaws, guns, violence, deception, danger, snowstorms, and, of course, plenty of romance. The tension was spot on! and I loved how the harsh, dangerous setting added to the feeling that these three were thrown together by something bigger than themselves. I was completely swept away to another time reading this book.
And Lula! I absolutely adored her. She was such a strong FMC, and I am always here for a woman who refuses to be pushed around. Seeing her find her strength and place in a world where women were so often oppressed made me sooo happy!
Then there’s Okee and Boone. They’re such opposites, but my gosh, what a pair. Their established relationship brought such a fun and emotional layer to the story, especially as Lula became part of their world. Their Queen *pants*.
Absolutely worth a read if you love a historical romance with a contemporary why choose twist!
Thank you to the author and Luna Literary for an eARC. All opinions are my own.
August 13, 2026
When I read the description of this book, I immediately wanted to read it. Thanks to @lovenotes.pr I was able to read an ARC and provide you with my free review.
This book is wonderful for anyone looking for a western romance to complete a challenge, or someone who enjoys diving into new genres. This book is perfect for those who want to read about two outlaws keeping their love hidden in plain sight until a wild card is thrown at them. The banter in this book is hilarious and very much right up my alley. These characters feel so deeply, you can’t help but feel with them. The love, the fear, the envy, and the all consuming lust.
Maybe one day Boone will learn to stop writing a check he can’t cash. But until then, Okee and Lula will have to keep him in check.
This book is wonderful for anyone looking for a western romance to complete a challenge, or someone who enjoys diving into new genres. This book is perfect for those who want to read about two outlaws keeping their love hidden in plain sight until a wild card is thrown at them. The banter in this book is hilarious and very much right up my alley. These characters feel so deeply, you can’t help but feel with them. The love, the fear, the envy, and the all consuming lust.
Maybe one day Boone will learn to stop writing a check he can’t cash. But until then, Okee and Lula will have to keep him in check.
August 14, 2026
I loved every minute of this book! I was hooked from the start! Okee was my favorite character!
I haven’t read a book written during this time period before and was intrigued by the pairing of Okee, Boone, and Lula.
I haven’t read a book written during this time period before and was intrigued by the pairing of Okee, Boone, and Lula.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Full review to come! ✨ Somehow so much better than the first in only all the best ways and I LOVED the first standalone! 🤭
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews